What was that?
by mightjustbe
Summary: VERY STRONG T RATING! Beginning of BB. R and R please
1. Chapter 1

She enjoyed moments like this, although she'd deny it fervently if asked about it. Moments of long, drawn out silences, of peace. Moments lacking murder victims' skeletons, lacking scientific explanations she'd have to "translate" for her partner. She grinned, thinking of him, as she pulled her blanket up under her chin, determined to keep the sudden wave of warmth from escaping. Her moment, however, was ruined as she felt the body beside her shift and moan as the sunlight drifted throught the small part in the curtains and shone directly in his eyes. He turned his head away from the window and towards her, catching a glimpse of her smile. He smiled back at her, "Morning, Beautiful!" 

She laughed lightly, "Are you kidding, I must look like death..." She self-consciously ran her hand over her wild morning hair, biting her lip.

"Nonesense!" He raised his eyebrows at her playfully, suggestively, and she laughed. He shifted so he was on his side, facing her, and he pulled her gently to him, pressing his lips to hers. She smiled against his lips as he let his hand drop from her face and land on her tee-shirt covered breast. She sighed as he moved his hand below the grey cotton. "How long until we have to get you to work?" He mumbled as he dropped his mouth to her neck.

"Who cares?" She moaned at the combination of his fingers on her bare, sensitive skin and his mouth on her neck, gently pulling her pale skin between his teeth. He laughed lightly and maneuvered himself so he was now hovering above her, his lips never shifting from her neck. As his hand slipped from her breast, she whined slightly, her lower lip jutting out in protest to the loss of contact.

"Who would've guessed," His fingers gripped the hem of her shirt, pulling it off effortlessly before wandering down her sides and finding the top of her panties, "that I'd get the world-renowned, workaholic forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan to reject work..."

"If you keep talking, she won't!" She smiled seductively at him, her fingers winding through his dark hair and pulling him to her. He smiled, and before she knew it, the gentle, teasing, easy foreplay was replaced with passionate, lustful thrusts on his part. His head fell once more to her neck, moving to her chest, and she closed her eyes, enjoying every second. "Oh, Seeley," she moaned, and the body above her immediately stopped moving.

"What was that?" Her eyes flew open in horror, realizing seconds too late her mistake as she stared into the wide eyes of Sully. "Did you just..."

"What?" She fought to keep from blushing, her throat closing around her voice, preventing her from properly covering her tracks. _'Maybe I can convince him I said Sully... They're close enough, right!?'_

"You just called me Seeley! Oh... My God! You want him too, don't you?" He exclaimed, leaping from the bed and pulling on his boxers quickly.

"Too? What do you mean, 'too'?" She didn't bother to try and soothe his wounded pride, she was too angry now, inexplicably irate. She pulled her tee back over her head and pulled on a pair of shorts, rushing after him as he headed for the living room to find the rest of his discarded outfit.

"Oh, come on, Brennan!" She winced, saddened by his use of her last name. "You cannot possibly be so brilliant, and yet so blind!"

She stared at him blankly, "What are you talking about?" She wasn't really absorbing anything, her mind racing with the events that had taken place in such a short time.

"Booth. Wants. You. You. Want. Booth." He said slowly, jabbing his finger for effect before he resumed the buttoning of his white dress shirt.

She watched as he pulled on his socks and shoes, struggling for words. "What are you talking about, Sully?! We're partners, and friends, and..."

"And you called out his name when you were having sex with your boyfriend!" He shouted, grabbing his jacket and heading for the door. "Correction--ex-boyfriend. See you around, Brennan." He spat, slamming the door behind him.

"Oh fuck." she muttered, staring at the door. She sighed, still confused as to how it all had happened. She locked her door and was heading for the shower when her cell phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID before answering, "Brennan..."

"Hey sweetie! I just went into your office to show you the sketch I've done on the new case... but you're not here..."

"I know that, Angela..."

"Did you also know then... that it's past 10 a.m.?"

Tempe gasped, her hand covering her eyes, "Shit... no!" She turned on the shower and returned to her room, gathering her clothes. "I'll be there soon, I promise."

"Hey, I don't care. I only want you to tell me all the juicy details the instant you're here..."

"You mean gory details," she retorted bitterly.

"What happened, sweetie?"

She sighed again, "I'll tell you when I get there..." Her voice trailed off as she remembered all the details of the previous night. "Oh, Shit, you've got to be kidding me!"

"What's wrong?"

"Can you come get me? My car is there..."

"I can be there in twenty minutes..."

"Thank you. See you soon..." She hung up, stepping into the hot stream and scrubbing every inch of herself until she was sore and raw, and yet still rather unclean feeling. She decided a large cup of strong, dark coffee would pull her out of this funk, and pulled on her dark linen skirt and her form-fitting white top before drawing her wet haid into a tight bun. As she went to make the bitter brew, a knock echoed through the apartment, and she sighed, muttering, "It's definetly going to be a bad day" as she pulled open the door. She smiled at her best friend, two coffees and a small bag in her hands. "Did I tell you how much I love you?"

Angela grinned, pushing a cup into her friends hand and stepping inside the apartment. "So... spill. Tell me everything!" She flopped onto the couch, patting the spot beside her as she opened the bag and offered her a bagel.

Tempe sighed and sat next to her, taking a bite of the bagel. "I had a dream about Booth..." She paused at the eruption next to her, Angela's eyes wide as she choked on what was apparently a rather large sip of coffee.

"What!?" She sputtered, coughing. "Sweetie, you have to give a girl fair warning before dropping a bomb like that!"

"Sorry... but that's not even all of it. In fact, that's not even the worst of it..."

Angela smiled and placed her coffee on the table, folding her legs beneath her as she turned her whole body to face her friend. "See, that is a good warning... Continue, please."

She smiled, "I woke up and felt... I don't know. Happy, maybe. Then... then Sully woke up. And we started to..."

"Fool around? Bone? Make Whoopie? Hump like monkeys?"

"**ANGELA**!"

"Sorry..." She blushed, smiling, "I couldn't help it."

"It's okay. You're right. We started to have sex, and I... I kind of... called out Booth's name..."

She gasped, "No!!" She grinned widely, clasping her hands over her mouth as she squeeled from excitement, "Like... _oh, Booth_?"

Brennan took a gulp of her coffee, needing the caffeine. "No, more like... _**oooohhh, Seeley**_..." She blushed, taking another long drag from the cup.

Angela's eyes grew wider yet, "You called him Seeley? While you were having sex?!"

She nodded slowly, gravely, "Yup. Needless to say, that killed the mood. And our relationship. He said the craziest thing..."

"What, that he was Booth's evil twin here to steal his life and ruin all things good?"

Tempe chuckled, shaking her head, "Okay, maybe not the craziest thing... but, crazy. He said, 'Oh my god, you want him too, don't you?' and then the said that Booth... you know..."

"Is in love with you? Wants you desperately? Wants to fuck your brains out?"

"Angela!" Again her friend blushed, and muttered an apology, "It's okay. That's basically what he said anyways..."

"So you've finally realized it?"

"Realized what? Angela, it's not true! We're partners, and friends, and..."

"If you were really just friends and partners, you wouldn't have felt bad for calling out his name when you were boning you boy-toy."

"It's Sully and Seeley! In the throes of passion the brain is hardly as alert as it is normally."

"Exactly! Sweetie, the names are similar, yes, but this is different. You wanted it to be Booth. This wasn't some simple lapse... it was your heart speaking."

"Hearts can't speak..." she whispered half-heartedly.

"Whatever, Bren. You don't call out your partner-slash-friends name during sex unless there's more there."

No longer able to provide a reasonable argument, she stood and paced around her living room. "What if you're right?"

"Would it be the worst thing in the world?" Angela smiled sympathetically, hoping her friend was finally seeing what everyone else already had.

"Yes! He doesn't... he doesn't feel the same."

"Of course he does. He's not dumb, and he's not blind!"

"Then why did he draw the line, hmm?" Brennan snapped, her eyes narrowed accusingly, "If he loves me, why did he say that people like us, people in high risk situations can't be together?"

"It's because he loves you he made that rule. It's because he knows that, one day, someone could shoot him... or heaven forbid, one of these times, one of the serial killers is going to kidnap you and actually succeed in killing you before he can save you. He knows your history, Bren... he knows what you've been through. He doesn't want to leave you... he doesn't want something to jeopardize your safety..." She stood, grabbing her friend. "That, and he didn't want to scare you away."

"Why would I be scared?"

"Because this is Booth, Sweetie. This is the Catholic boy with dreams of a white picket fence around his mini-mansion, with a yard teeming with kids and a wedding band around your finger Seeley Booth. He wants all of the things you tell everyone you don't want." She smiled knowingly, "And you only say you don't want them for the same reason you refused to admit you love him--you're terrified."

"That's not true." She fought weakly. She forgot that Angela knew her better than she sometimes knew herself.

"You want to be married, and have a huge family. You're afraid that you aren't capable of having that love and that happiness, that you won't be able to reciprocate that. But you love him already. You adore Parker. You cannot continue to let your fear control your life, Brennan. Look at me..." she paused, waiting for her friend's compliance. "Go get your man, sweetie!"

"That's so... sexist!"

"Shut up. Let's go pick up your ride and get you to him."

"I have to go to work!"

"No, you don't. You have to go get your man..."

* * *

AN: Because there is no new Bones tonight.. I started a new story. What do you think??


	2. Chapter 2

He leaned against the back of the wooden chair, his arms folded across his chest stubbornly. He stared, his eyes narrowed so much they looked closed, his anger turning him red. 

"Agent Booth... really, this is childish."

"Well, Wyatt, maybe you shouldn't ask childish questions and you won't get childish responses, hmm?" He gritted, still glaring at his therapist. "I'm not going to answer that."

"You most certainly are. You forget, young man, I have your career, literally, in the palm of my hand." Wyatt smiled, holding his palm out as a demonstration. Of course, it was empty--a reminder of what his career was going to become if Booth didn't comply.

Booth's nostrils flared. He couldn't remember feeling this angry before. "I am not in love with my partner. Bones... Brennan is just my partner. My friend."

"Your best friend?"

"By default," Booth whispered, shaking his head and leaning forward once more. "She's more like... my only friend. Besides the squints, but I try not to count them."

"And why's that?"

"It's depressing." He sighed, shaking his head, "No... that's not it. I like the squints, I do. I respect them--they're brilliant, even if for the most part they lack social graces that come naturally to most. I don't count them because I don't think they'd count me."

"Sounds..."

"Stupid?" Booth finished for him, nodding. "Yes, I know. But I know that Bones is my friend. I don't question that. I have no reason to."

"But you have reason to doubt that her friends like you? Why does it matter what these 'squints' think of you?"

"It doesn't. It shouldn't..."

Wyatt smiled and nodded knowingly, "But it really does, correct? You're afraid if they don't accept you, she will eventually reject you herself, hmm? And because of this, you refuse to admit how you truly feel about her."

"I refuse to say I am in love with her because it's not the truth! I want a wife, and kids... she thinks marriage is archaic and she doesn't want to have children."

"That has nothing to do with what you feel for her, Agent Booth. That is your rationalization as to why you shouldn't love her. Have you ever stopped to just... imagine why you should be together?" He paused, observing him closely. It was obvious he wasn't going to voice his response, so he continued, "Perhaps because you know her better than anyone else. You would give your life, risk your life, for her without question. She is the person you would call if you had a miserable day, or the person you would entrust your son's care to temporarily if you were called away suddenly. I have a question for you--what is the first thing you think when you see her face?"

_**Thank God. Finally. I love the way she smiles when she sees me and she's having a good day. I love the way her hair falls around her face. I even love when she's mad at me, and her eyes narrow and she looks like she might just kill me. I love when she says 'I don't know what that means'. I love when Angela tells her she's been spending too much time with me when she's quick on her toes and sarcastic. I love when she messes up common sayings, and the slight blush that creeps into her cheeks as she gives me that sheepish smile and apologizes... or when I let the mistake slip and she grins with pride that she's right. Oh, dear God... I really do love her.**_ "I think it's good to see her..."

Wyatt's smile told him that he was caught before he said a word, "It took you a while to reply. What were you thinking? And, remember, it's important to be honest and open..."

He sighed, his head in his hands, knowing he'd been defeated. "Fine. You're right."

"Per usual, of course." The smug smile on his face was burned into Booth's brain. "Now, do you think that the reason you don't act on this, or even acknowledge it, is because you're afraid?"

His head shot up, a look of indignation playing with his features. "I'm not afraid! Why would I be afraid?"

"It's simple, really. You said before, you don't miss. You always hit what you aim for. But, with Dr. Brennan, no matter how steady your aim, you could miss. Correct?"

"Moving targets are always harder than stationary ones..." Booth muttered, tossing his therapist a half smile and hoping he wouldn't mention how he didn't have an issue with a moving ice cream truck...

Wyatt just shook his head, "You know what I mean, Agent Booth. If you try to go after her, there is a chance that she will refuse you. And although you try to exude confidence and bravery, really, your ego is quite fragile. A rejection from someone you love as much as you obviously love your partner could shatter your entire world. So I understand your trepidation, I do. However..." Wyatt leaned across the table, lowering his voice conspiratorilly, "I think it's foolish to wait. The longer the wait, the greater the chance of her giving up the wait."

"Bones is not someone who will sit around and wait for someone to come around. She'd..."

"Push them where she wanted them?" Booth nodded, "So, where has she pushed you?"

He sighed, "I don't know. She's hard to read sometimes."

"You don't usually have trouble reading her, though, correct? So what is it about the situation that makes it hard for you to read her?"

"She's very... guarded with her emotions. After everything that she's been through, it's more than understandable. She's gotten much better at being open and honest with me... but when it comes to love? No, Bones doesn't just leap into that blindly. It's big for anyone, but for her, it's almost... tragic. After her parents left, and her brother... she can't really deal with loving people, because to her it means they'll abandon her. So she'd rather pretend she doesn't care as much as she does as a kind of defense mechanism than to attempt to be close to them and risk getting herself hurt again. I think she loves me too, though. There's something there, it's not just a one-way thing like I'd imagined before."

"So what are you going to do?"

Booth tossed him a smile and grabbed his jacket, "I'll tell you what happens next week!" He called as he jogged to his car. Wyatt grinned as his patient drove away, knowing exactly what was going to happen.

* * *

AN: I should be studying for my midterms... but I will be done with all of them by Weds, so expect chapter 3 (maybe four??) by then if not sooner! R &R and I'll love you forever!


	3. Chapter 3

She stared at the door, the brass numbers aligned with her forehead reading 23C, and her hand poised an inch from the dark wood. She'd been standing there, studying the grain for an eternity, unable to make herself make the contact. If she knocked, and he was home, she would have to talk to him. Tell him why she came over... why she wasn't at work. Why wasn't he at work? She shook her head, her hand still frozen in mid-air. She could hear the comforting hum of Angela's engine, and she pretended to knock on the door, her hand never making contact. She dropped her arms to her side and fidgeted with her jacket, nervous without even knocking really... She dared to sneak a glance at her best friend, who was sitting inside the car, windows up, safe from the chill wind that was whipping her hear around ruthlessly. Angela's look told her she was caught--her one eyebrow raised in question, the look on her face reminding her of a teacher she'd had in elementary school who chastised the one boy next to her who always ate glue and sniffed markers. She took a deep breath and returned her focus to the door momentarily before realising she couldn't do it. She couldn't face him, not like this. Not when she didn't know for sure that he felt the same. 

"I can't lose him," She whispered to herself, turning on her heel and jogging back to the car. "Ange, I'm sorry..."

She could tell her smile was forced, but it was there all the same, and it made her feel a little better. "It's alright, sweetie. Come on, I've already called Zack and told him to finish your latest examination of the warrior from Rome--he needs the practice, and to keep busy because otherwise, Hodgins will have him either racing bugs or messing with chemicals, and that's just... it's not safe without us there. They'll accidentally create a nuke in a beaker and we'll all be doomed..."

"You're not making me feel any better about not being at work. If anything, I want to go there and lock up all of the dangerous chemicals..."

This time, Angela's smile was real, and accompanied by a laugh. "Okay... What do you want to do on our day off?"

"Ours?" Brennan smiled, shaking her head. "I don't know. All I really wanted was..." She paused, knowing she didn't need to rehash it all, "But I can't... maybe a movie?"

"Oh, excellent idea, Bren! When was the last time you went to the movies in an actual theatre?"

Brennan simply shrugged, and they headed to the theatre, Angela trying to recall the new movies that had come out, and Brennan still trying to remember the last time she'd been inside of a cineplex. None of the movies Ange had thought of were anything she'd heard of, so she left the choice to her friend, who was more than happy to buy the tickets while Brennan waited in the concession stand line. Angela finished before she even started, so they ordered together, Brennan picking up the tab, her mouth going slack when the pimpled teen gave her the total.

"$23!? What the...?" She shook her head and grabbed the bills from her wallet, stuffing them into the teen's extended hand and grabbing her boxes of gummy bears and raisinettes and her large drink, Angela already three steps ahead of her with the large popcorn, bag of licorice, soda and a huge handful of napkins. "Since when does it cost a small fortune to go to the movies!?" She muttered, entering the theatre.

"Since Hollywood became the breeding ground for all things unholy." Angela smiled and pointed her soda towards a set of seats in the back, "That's where we are going to sit, sweetie. Know why?" Brennan shook her head, following her friend up the carpeted steps. "Because this way, we get to watch all of the hotties as they walk in... and we don't get neck cramps later." Brennan laughed at her friend, following her up the hundred or so steps and down the second row from the top. Angela made half-hearted comments about the men walking in, all the time waiting for the one she'd invited. The tall, handsome FBI agent she'd gotten a call from.

_She was standing, staring idly ahead of her, her eyes focused on a movie poster until her phone shook violently in her pocket. "Angela..."_

_"Hey, it's me. Bones isn't answering her phone..."_

_"Oh, she turned it off..."_

_"Is she alright? The guys said... Well, she called in, and..." Angela smiled at his concern. Oh, this is too good, she thought, the idea now unable to be ignored._

_"She's fine. Actually... you should come to the movies with us. We're seeing that new Jim Carrey movie..." She paused, and she could practically hear the gears turning in his mind, "In fact... You have to come. I'm Bren's ride, but I have a case I have to go assist on before the movie is over, so if you don't come she'll be trapped here. And then she'll hate me, and I won't be able to be as happy when you two finally get together..."_

_Booth laughed, and she could practically hear the wedding bells. It was all going according to plan._

She grinned to herself as she saw him, then glanced over at her friend, still oblivious. "Speaking of neck cramps, I think someone's about to get whiplash..." She pointed at Booth before waving her hand at him. He nodded, that smile of his finally showing itself.

"Did you... did you do this?" Brennan hissed, trying to keep calm. Her body wasn't agreeing with her, however--her heart was pounding, she was beginning to sweat... and she felt a little dizzy. "Why would you do this?"

"Stop freaking out. It's okay. I promise!" Angela grinned as Booth took the seat next to Brennan, leaning over her slightly to talk to Angela.

"I heard this is supposed to be some kind of psychological thriller..." He whispered, noticing that as his fingertips grazed Brennan's knee, she stiffened and stopped breathing, her eyes fluttering closed before she quickly regained her composure.

"Yeah..." Angela smiled, and then looked at her phone. "A voice mail? I should check it now, before the movie starts..." She pretended to check her imaginary message, her eyes wide as she pretended to look sad. "Sorry, guys, I gotta go... Jack needs me at the lab."

"Did they kill anyone?" Brennan worried, sitting forward and reaching for her bag. "We better..."

"Uh-uh, no we. He needs me for help on a case... You two should stay. Enjoy the movie..." She called over her shoulder with a slight wave.

"She set me up, didn't she?" Brennan whispered, finally looking at him. He looked different now, somehow, although she couldn't place what it was. He gave her the charm smile, and she was thankful she was sitting, because if she'd been upright, she most certainly would've stumbled. That smile made her weak, and she wasn't sure she could handle this.

"Yeah, Bones, she did. So..." He grabbed a piece of popcorn and tossed it into his mouth, the smile never leaving his lips. "Why aren't you at work today, hmm?"

She blushed, "I don't... I don't think you really want to know."

"If I didn't want to know, I wouldn't have asked, Bones. So, come on, why?"

"The whole story?" She took a deep breath as he nodded. "Well, Angela says I have to give people warning before I tell them big things... so consider yourself warned. I woke up this morning from a... very good dream... and Sully was there." She stole a glance at him, and noticed the smile was dropping from his lips, "We started to... you know... and then I--I messed up."

"How exactly did you mess up?"

Well, he said he wouldn't ask if he didn't want to know... "I, uh... I called him Seeley..." Booth choked on his soda, the people two rows in front of him staring back in a mix of annoyance and concern. "Are you okay?" She asked, patting him on the back.

"You did what!? While he was..." His eyes were wide as he stared at her, a blush creeping into her cheeks.

"I called him... I called him by your name while he was... yes. I did. And then he said I wanted you, and I said I didn't, but I do... and then I called Angela..."

"Wait," he interrupted her, "Say that again."

"I called Ange..."

"No!" He smiled, leaning in a little closer to her, taking pleasure in her shocked expression. "The part before that."

She raised an eyebrow, "Sully said that I wanted you... I told him I didn't..."

"But you do. That's what you said. You... you want me?"

She blushed furiously, "Did I say that?" Booth nodded, grinning wildly at her. "Oh..."

He decided to end the misery, and leaned forward, capturing her lips with his as the lights dimmed and the music began.

* * *

AN: I'm going to try and do one more chapter before my spring break starts (in a few hours) but I don't know if I'll update until March 10/11... we'll see-- I hope so!! Hope you enjoyed this!


	4. Chapter 4

She didn't know how long they stayed that way, there mouths moving together, her hands on his face, his on her waist, trying to pull her closer. After a while, the plastic arm between them began to hurt her, pushing into her ribs and causing what she was sure was going to be an awful bruise. She pulled away, smiling and breathing deeply. "We... we should leave here." She whispered, her forehead pressed against his. He glanced at the screen and realized the movie was already well under way, and he wasn't sure if they would be able to catch up if they stayed anyway. 

"What do you want to do?"

She smiled, shrugging, as she stood and grabbed his hand, pulling him with her until they made it out into the hall, the bright lights blinding them. "We can go to lunch... maybe talk about... all of this."

He nodded, a smile plastered on his face as he led her out to his car, his hand on the small of her back. In that moment, he realized exactly how often he'd done that, and how she had never mentioned it. His grin grew at the thought, and he chuckled.

"What's so funny, Booth?"

"So..." He opened the door for her and jogged around to his side, "You really called him Seeley?"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on! I knew I shouldn't have told you!"

"Oh, no, I'm glad you did, Bones. We shouldn't keep secrets from each other. We're partners..." He stopped, glancing over at her, "and... well, we're something."

"That is to be determined," She muttered, her arms folded across her chest. She was regretting her confession, but it had been killing her. It wasn't like her to keep things like that from him anyway, although she had never given much thought to why she was so comfortable telling him all about her sex life. It wasn't like he did the same... or that if he did the same, she would've been as calm as he always was. Irritated, frustrated, yes--but he was always calm about it. She glanced at him, annoyed when she saw a smile on his face. "Why are you so damn happy?" He simply shook his head, his smile contagious and spreading across her face quickly. "It is kind of funny..."

He laughed, nodding, "Where do you want to go for lunch?"

"My apartment."

His grin faded quickly, and she worried she'd done something wrong. "Bones... I don't... It's not that..." He took a deep breath and pulled onto a side street, throwing the car in park and facing her, her small hands in his. "It's not that I don't to, really, I do. Believe me, I do. I just... we haven't even figured out what this is. And I don't want to rush into anything with you, because you mean too much to me."

She didn't bother to correct him, to tell him she really did just want to eat at her apartment. The previous night she'd made spaghetti and there was some left over that she knew she wouldn't eat if it waited another day, and she knew how much he liked spaghetti... The first thing that slipped out of her mouth was, "You slept with Cam without a definition."

The fire in her cool eyes told him something was up, so he sat very still for a few moments. "That's different, and you know it, Bones. She and I had a previous relationship..."

"We had a relationship prior to all of this," She said, gesturing between the two of them.

"No, we were a couple before--sexual, before. We," He mimicked her gesture, "didn't before all of this. And I don't want to fuck this up, Brennan. You are my best friend. You're my family..." He looked her in the eye, and saw her fear, but he couldn't stop himself. "I love you, Bones. And I'm not going to rush into this because it's what I want. Or what you want. Because if we just start having sex without knowing what we want later, we're going to crash and burn. And I'm not going to lose you."

She nodded, before finally finding her voice again. "So, what do you want from this?"

He shook his head, "You first."

"I'm not sure."

"Well, until you figure it out... no booty for you." He said as he started heading to her apartment once again.

"Are you kidding? You're serious, no sex?" She gaped at him. It wasnt' so much that she wanted to have sex with him (she did), or that she had never been in a relationship where she wasn't having sex (she hadn't), but something about that idea coming from Booth scared her. It was like she could envision what he wanted--her in a white gown in a huge catholic cathedral, the stained glass illuminated in the mid-day sun. His side of the pews were filled with his family, his army friends, some FBI friends. Her "family", the squints, taking up only one of dozens on her side. There was no one else. But it didn't matter, not in Booth-land, where they were getting married, and in love. Where babies were a certainty in the not-so-distant future, and her work took a backseat to pregnancy and infants and childhood, where her vacations consisted of trips to his parents' house and Disneyland, and where they were only alone together when Angela and Hodgins took the spawns from their hands for a night, and it always ended up in yet another baby. In Booth-land, it was all a fairytale, his dream come true, and she was just a happy participant, complacent due to love. Well, not in Brennan-land. There, Booth never asked her to marry him, didn't push her to have his children, didn't care about her job and long hours. He gave her a gun, in Brennan-land. She sighed, "Seriously?"

He nodded firmly, "Seriously, Bones. There's not going to be any sex until you figure out what you want."

"Can't you just tell me what you want, and I'll tell you if that's not what I want?"

"No. It doesn't work that way. You have to have your own idea about how you want this to go."

"All I know is that I don't want it to get personal. At work, we are still Special Agent Seeley Booth, and Dr. Temperance Brennan. You cannot try and control me, or tell me something is too dangerous..."

"I do that already!" He interjected.

"You're right." She sighed, "But you know what I mean. I'm serious Booth, at work, we are not... whatever. We're partners, and friends, but that's the end of it."

"Do you plan on telling the squints?"

"Of course. Although they'll tease me relentlessly, not telling them is not only lying, but it's akin to saying I'm ashamed. And I'm not."

He smiled at her as they pulled into her parking lot. "Good. Me either." She grabbed his face and pulled him to her gently, kissing him passionately. He felt his erection growing, and he knew in an instant she was going to make this no-sex rule the hardest thing he'd ever have to do.


	5. Chapter 5

She led the way to her apartment, her hand joined with his. She smiled to herself, thinking of all the ways she could make him break his rule. She made him cross the line, didn't she? This shouldn't prove to be too difficult. She would simply play on his weaknesses... although, first, she'd have to discover what they were... She didn't think that maybe he had a good point. Maybe it was better for the long-term relationship if they didn't rush into this. Maybe the wait would make it less awkward, so they wouldn't be searching for a definition in a post-coital haze. All she knew was that Sully left before he finished the job, and she wanted Booth to help her out. _'Maybe if I say it like that, he'll be happy to... oh, who am I kidding, if I mention me having sex with Sully earlier, there is no way he's going to hop into my bed willingly._' she thought, releasing his hand as she fumbled with her keys. 

"You alright there, Bones?" Booth noticed the way her usually sure fingers faltered with the slim keys, the way she seemed to be shaking her head as though she couldn't figure out why she was so nervous. Booth knew that this whole no-sex thing was going to be hard, but he truly believed it was the best for the both of them. That no matter how deeply he knew he felt for her, until she knew what she wanted, sex would just confuse the situation. It usually did anyway.

"I'm fine!" She tossed him a smile as her key slipped through the lock, and she gave a small victory laugh. "Come on in... I've got some spaghetti, and some salad..."

He simply nodded, following her inside and standing just inside her kitchen, his eyes momentarily glued to the fridge. It was new, and he'd seen it a few times since the incident, but every time he was in her apartment, that moment came flooding back. If he was honest, he began to love her after that. He knew she'd felt him being there was a nuisance, and that she could protect herself, but she wasn't prepared for a bomb in her fridge. She wasn't prepared for his friend, the psychopathic FBI agent who killed for the mob, and was planning on killing her to cover it up. The image of her being the one to open that fridge stayed with him still--sometimes haunting his sleep, causing him to jump out of bed, terrified. She wouldn't have lived, he knew that. They said the only reason he lived was because he was reaching for a glass. Had he been focused on that damned fridge, he wouldn't even be here. That didn't bother him so much, however, as the image of his small-framed, beautiful partner, flying through the air, her clothing on fire, blood seeping from her wounds. He shook at the thought again.

"Booth?" His head snapped over, and he looked at her, her face etched with concern. "Did you hear me?"

He cleared his throat, "Uh, no, sorry Bones. What was that?"

Her eyes widened, repeating the way Sully had said that same phrase. "Oh, just asked if you wanted to go sit down in the living room while I get this ready..."

"No, I can help..."

She smiled, pushing him gently out of the kitchen, "No, you can't. There's really nothing to do. Here," She yanked open the fridge, not noticing his visible wince at the act, and handed him a beer, "Go watch something."

"Watch something?" His eyes lit up, and she laughed, "You bought a TV?"

She nodded, smiling as he launched himself onto the couch and played with the remote, muttering something about movies and sports channels. She started their lunch, and realized she wasn't really hungry for food. She was hungry for Booth. She turned off the stove and sauntered into the living room. Booth glanced at her, his smile fading as she pulled her shirt over her head.

"Uh, Bones...I don't... um..." He stuttered, his mind failing him. He knew she was going to cause trouble, but he didn't think it'd be like this. He thought she'd be more subtle, more... Bones-like.

She grinned at him, launching her tee onto the floor and straddling his lap, bringing her face close to his. "Shut up..." She whispered, kissing him. Her arms slipped behind his neck, and she smiled as he slowly brought his hands to her waist.

"Bones, stop!" He whispered, pulling away. He saw the flash of disappointment and sadness in her eyes, and he knew it was going to be harder than he expected. He just hoped that she would figure out what she wanted soon enough. "We're not... We're not having sex. We're having lunch."

She blinked rapidly, "Are you kidding. I'm half naked, on your lap, throwing myself at you, and you want fucking food?" She paused, noticing the way his eyes darted to her breasts and back to her eyes, a knowing smile suddenly crossing her lips. She brought her open palm between their bodies and placed it against his groin, feeling him grow against her palm. "You don't want food..." She whispered, leaning forward and kissing him. He kissed her back, but once again pulled away. "What now?" She huffed.

He shook his head and placed his hand beneath her knee, gently pushing her onto the couch beside him. "Let's go get you car."

"What?"

He stood and looked at her, "You don't have your car here, and I don't want you to be stranded. So, let's go get your car."

Her lip quivered, though she tried to hide it. "Come on, don't go Booth. Please."

He sighed, "I don't want to. But it's obvious that you're not going to play fair," He gestured to her near-naked body and she blushed, "And that you're not going to think about this enitre situation when I'm here. So that only leaves me with the option of leaving. Do you want to go get your car or no?"

She shook her head, and watched him. A look of sadness washed over him quickly, and he tried to replace it with a blank, calm look. However, the sadness stayed in his warm brown eyes. "Stay. I'll... behave, I promise." She grabbed her shirt and pulled it over her head, standing in front of him. "Can I kiss you without you being all... no-sex-y..."

He shook his head, smiling, "Yeah..." He kissed her, quickly, and then clapped his hands together. "So, what now?"

"Now," She walked over to her desk in the corner and grabbed two pens and a pad of paper, "Now, we figure out what we want."

"Now?"

"The sooner we do this, the sooner we can have sex, right?" He stared at her as she handed him a sheet of paper. He'd never imagined she'd be as sex-crazed as she was... and she had never been as sex-crazed before. He had visions of romance and sweet-nothings, and she just wanted to get it over with. Sex had always been... sex to her. It had never been some kind of declaration, the way he was making it. The idea scared her more than the idea of rushing into it and losing him, but she didn't know why. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, with only one thought on her mind, "What in the hell do I want?"


	6. Chapter 6

Her question was answered earlier that day, during her conversation with Angela. 

"Because this is Booth, Sweetie. This is the Catholic boy with dreams of a white picket fence around his mini-mansion, with a yard teeming with kids and a wedding band around your finger Seeley Booth. He wants all of the things you tell everyone you don't want." She smiled knowingly, "And you only say you don't want them for the same reason you refused to admit you love him--you're terrified."

"That's not true." She fought weakly. She forgot that Angela knew her better than she sometimes knew herself.

"You want to be married, and have a huge family. You're afraid that you aren't capable of having that love and that happiness, that you won't be able to reciprocate that. But you love him already. You adore Parker. You cannot continue to let your fear control your life, Brennan. Look at me..." she paused, waiting for her friend's compliance. "Go get your man, sweetie!"

She closed her eyes as she replayed the moment over and over again. The only way she could say this was to do it like she was talking to him. She couldn't write it down, put that on paper. So she lifted her pen, and wrote.

Booth, I know what I want. -Bones

She folded the sheet in half and watched him for a moment. "Booth?" She whispered, handing him the sheet.

"That was fast..." He stared at the folded white sheet, thin and cool between his fingers. It was terrifying to him that everything rested on the words on that paper.

"Did you write down what you want?" Before he could stop her, she pulled on his paper and held it, her small smile fading. "What is this?"

He blushed and bit his lip, "I already knew what I wanted, Bones, so there was no need to write it down."

"So instead you did this?" She turned the sheet around to reveal to him his doodles. Swirly lines and squiggles, a few trees and a cabin. He tossed her a smile, "Why didn't you write it down? If you already knew, why not write it anyway?"

He took a deep breath, "Because it's not something you write down. What I want... Is something that would scare you, and that is not what I want. What I want..." He looked up from his fidgeting hands, his eyes searching hers. "I want you."

"Read it." She pointed to the sheet in his hands, leaning back in her seat. She watched him as he read the words, his lips mumbling along.

"What is this?"

"I can't write down what I want." She watched him, a smile growing on her face, "It's not something you write down. What I want is something that scares the hell out of me. I want you, but I want more. I've never had a serious relationship. I've never really loved anyone. I thought I loved Michael... but he didn't understand me. He understood a part of me, the scholarly part of me... but you get me. You get the parts of me that I don't let anyone else get near. You know that I'm scared of everything, of feeling," She took a deep breath and studied him. "I'm scared of loving you. But I do. I love you, Booth."

He grinned, grabbing her hands firmly, "I love you too, Bones."

"I'm not done, Booth. I know what I want. I want more than you. I want what you want."

He raised an eyebrow, tilting his head, "You don't know what I want."

She nodded, "Yes, I do. I know what you want. We want the same thing. You want more children. You want to get married. You want to be in love. We've got one of the three, don't we?" She smiled at him, "I've never told anyone any of this. But I do want to get married, and I do want to have children."

His confusion was to be expected, but she laughed at the shock on his face. "But... but you think marriage is an archaic institution. You don't want to bring children into a world like ours--a world of hate and murder and..." He watched her, his eyes wide.

"It's a defense mechanism. I said I didn't want those things because... I was afraid I was incapable of loving, of being loved. If you're not loved, you won't get married, and you most likely won't have children. And it's true, this world is cruel... but someone once told me that you should have children to reverse that--you have children and raise them to have your values. To be strong and brave and intelligent, to know right from wrong. I said that I didn't want marriage or children because... of what happened to my parents. What they did to me, and Russ. It was to protect myself from not getting what I wanted. But... I want what you want."

He was grinning so widely it hurt, and he leaned forward, kissing her passionately. "So, we get to have sex now?"

His grin dropped as she shook her head. "No. You were right, Booth. This isn't something we can just rush. That's not what I want. I want to be with you, but I don't want to just... just jump into bed with you."

* * *

to be continued whenever I can get to a computer. Most likely not until March 10/11. Sorry. Leave me lots of reviews so I have tons of inspiration...


	7. Chapter 7

"That's not what you said earlier..." He protested. 

"Well, I was using my sexuality to deflect my emotions." She smiled as he raised an eyebrow in question. "Angela and I had a nice, long talk this morning. She's filled me in a little on my typical behaviors when it comes to this kind of thing."

"So, no sex?"

"No sex."

He sighed and stood up, extending his hand to help her as well, "How about we go get something to eat, hmm?"

Her eyes widened and shot to the kitchen, "Oh my God, the food!" She cried, springing to her feet and rushing to the burning pile of spaghetti leftovers she'd forgotten on the stove. She flung the smoking pot into the sink and turned on the water, the metal hissing under the cool stream. "Will you go crack open a window for me, Booth?"

She glanced at him, his grin telling her that he was more than slightly amused by her culinary prowess. She glared at him and he choked back laughter, simply nodding in response. He opened up two of her wide living room windows and allowed himself to laugh briefly into the safety of the wind. "Where do you want to eat, now that we've, um... ran out of suitable options here?"

She shrugged, sighing as she scraped the goopy mess into her trash bin. "Anywhere. Although, I have to say, I'm no longer in the mood for spaghetti."

"Let's go to Wong Foo's."

"Are you sure--the gang will probably be there..." She smiled as he picked up her jacket and helped her into it. 'Always the gentleman,' she thought, pulling on her shoes and grabbing her bag.

"You know, I really don't mind them. They grow on you after a while." He placed his arm around her shoulder, kissing the top of her head. "Angela's going to want every gory detail..."

Brennan groaned, rolling her eyes. "Of course she will. She always does. I'll have to think of something before we get there."

"The truth isn't good enough?"

She shook her head, "I need to liven it up. We were pretty boring..."

He stopped, staring at her in mock horror. "If that was boring, I don't know if I want to see exciting..."

She blushed, "Well, it wasn't particularly eventful..."

"Not eventful? We came to your apartment for lunch, after I made a no-sex rule. You proceeded to cheat and get partially naked to try and tempt me into breaking my own rule. When I convince you it's for the best until you know what you want, you tell me exactly what you want, only to decide that the no-sex rule really is a good rule. If that's not eventful for you... I am in a whole mess of trouble, aren't I?"

She smiled, grabbing his hand and pulling him to the car, "You bet. I'm driving!"

"Oh no you aren't! I always drive."

"If you ever want sex, you'll let me drive."

He glared at her, tossing her his keys. "You really do cheat you know. It's not fair."

* * *

AN I'm trying to decide what I'm going to do with this story. i think I know where I want it to go... but it wouldn't exactly be happy. So if you have any opinions... you know what to do.


	8. Chapter 8

They arrived at Sid's, grinning like fools, hands clasped tightly together. Tempe blushed as she looked at their usual table, seeing the squints watching them carefully. Angela was the first to say something--or, rather, to scream... "Oh MY GOD!" She squeaked, her hands flying to her mouth. 

Tempe glared, releasing Booth's hand and folding her arms across her chest. "And that "case" you had to help Hodgins with?"

"What case?" Hodgins questioned before gasping in pain as Angela stomped on his foot under the table, "Ow, what the hell was that for?"

She glared at him before returning her gaze to the new pair, "So, how was the movie... wait, what time is it?"

This time, Booth blushed, "We didn't really stick around..."

"Wow, impressive!" Hodgins cheered, while Zack raised an eyebrow at him. "I'll explain it later, man," He muttered, digging again into his lunch.

Angela gasped, "Oh, really?"

"It's not what you think..."

"Unfortunately..." Booth interrupted, earning himself an elbow to the ribs.

"So, you didn't..." Hodgins looked disappointed, as did Angela. "Well..."

"Alright, alright, enough of this..." Tempe sat in the booth, pulling the agent down with her, "We're here for food, not discussions of private matters."

"But we always discuss private matters over lunch!" Ange pouted, taking a sip of her soda.

"Actually, we typically discuss rotting corpses..." Zack chimed in, recieving a disgusted glance from the pair in the booth next to them, "It's our job!"

"No shop talk," Booth whispered, gesturing to the angry-looking Sid.

"Shop talk? Who was talking about shopping??" Brennan stared, confused, as Angela, Booth, and Hodgins erupted in laughter. "What?"

"He meant we aren't allowed to talk about work, Dr. Brennan," Zach offered, leaning over his soup. Booth stared at him in amazement, "I do pay attention to you all, you know!"

Brennan smiled at them, "I want to tell you guys something--We're, together, now, and I would really appreciate you all trying to be as professional..."

"I'm so happy for you guys! We need to go out together and celebrate!!"

"Angela, this is exactly what I'm talking about!"

"What?" She shrugged defensively, "We don't need to be professional during our lunch break, sweetie. I won't bother you with this stuff at the office... well, not any more than I usually do!"

She grinned at her best friend as Booth squeezed her hand, "Well, I have to get back to work, guys..." Booth smiled at them, "Angela, you can give her a ride, right?"

"What, you don't want to give her a ride?" Immediately, Angela's eyes widened, "I didn't mean that to sound as dirty as it did... I swear!"

Booth shook his head and kissed Tempe's cheek, "I'll call you when I leave work, and you can tell me where our little celebration is taking place, okay?"

She nodded, smiling broadly at him, "Have a good day..." she whispered as she watched him walk away, her heart pounding furiously in her chest.

"You two are beyond cute, do you know that? And how sweet is this whole 'no-sex' thing? Such a gentleman, that stud muffin of yours!" Angela gushed, leaning conspiratorily towards her best friend. "So, I'm thinking that we all go somewhere and have a little party..."

"Where are we going to have a party on such short notice?" Zach asked, looking at the others.

"We can just go to my apartment," Brennan said with a shrug, "We can order pizza... watch some movies. Something very low-key..."

Angela nodded, "Low-key. Got it..." She looked at her watch with a sigh, "Time to return to work, my friends."

As they strolled to the car, Tempe's phone shook violently in her pocket. "Brennan," She smiled into the phone, "Hi... Oh, is that so?" Angela watched as her friend blushed furiously, "Mmmhmm..." She stopped walking and turned away from her friends, "Iloveyoutoo,bye" she whispered hurriedly into the phone, her cheeks deepening.

"Oh, beyond cute!!" Angela squealed, clapping her hands as her friends piled into the car.

* * *

AN: Sorry it's been awhile. Honestly, it will probably not be updated again for a bit--very sorry, but school comes first (unfortunately) 

Also, very sorry if this is short and horrible, I'm quite sick right now, and it's messing with my brain! Any reviews very much appreciated. AND--the next chapter will more than likely be the last:)


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Ok, so it starts out at the end of the last chapter, just a little more in-depth. You get to hear both sides of the conversation now:D

* * *

"Brennan," she said, knowing full well who was on the other end.

"Hey, Bones... I forgot to tell you something," He smiled into the phone, leaning back in the drivers seat.

"Is that so?" She smiled to herself, turning from her friends as they made their way to the car.

"I love you..."

She grinned, "Mmmhmmm..." She mumbled, biting her lip.

"Oh, no you don't. You don't get away with that. You have to say it..." He paused at the red light, his fingers tapping the wheel in anticipation. His mind was racing, 'What if she doesn't love me, what if she can't say it... what if...'

The voice inside his head was quieted with a rushed "Iloveyoutoobye," Before she hung up, the pair of them wearing matching smiles across town. She heard Angela gushing over her conversation, but all she was thinking was "I really do... but where do we go from here?"

Brennan sat behind her desk, her fingers typing furiously. An idea for her story had popped into her head, and she couldn't ignore it or push it aside. There was a knock behind her, and she didn't have to turn around to know who it was. "Yes, Come in..."

"Sweetie..." Angela launched herself into the chair near her friends desk, leaning forward, "You've been locked in here all day. Did you know that Hodgins has Zack playing with chemicals and bugs? They've set up a beetle obstacle course--two have perished in an acid bath..." She sighed as her friend ignored her. "And... And They've taken to playing with the bones of unidentified soldiers... they're playing "What's that chemical" with the bones--you know, dipping in a femur, seeing what it does to the bone, then guessing what chemical it is..."

"What?" Bren mumbled, her gaze still fixed on the screen.

"Why are you ignoring me? I just tried to tell you that they're destroying unidentified bodies..." She leapt into action at the same time Brennan did, holding her back, "I was only kidding--trying to get your attention, you know!" She rolled her eyes as she led her friend back to her desk, "Now, what's going on?"

"It's too fast..."

"What is?"

She sighed, shaking her head, "We're moving too fast. In a day, I've called out Booth's name while having sex with someone other than him, Broken up with said man, realized that I want things that I convinced myself I wasn't interested in--including Booth!-- ditched the first half of work, met with Booth at a movie, made out, ditched the movie, decided not to have sex with him, discussed what we want from our RELATIONSHIP, decided, again, not to have sex with him... and now we're planning a celebration for the couplehood that, twelve hours ago, didn't exist! This is crazy!"

"I've got to admit, when you fall, you fall hard, Bren. But it doesn't make it... crazy. You two have been partners and best friends for two years--he's seen you through some of your best times, and some of your worst... And he has never once left your side. He's been in love with you this whole time, just waiting for you to come around. So, now that you have, why not go fast?" She smiled, patting her hand comfortingly, "You've got two years to make up for..."

Brennan smiled, but her fears still raced around her head. "I should get back to work..."

Angela nodded, "Okay, I'll probably be dragging the boys out of here within an hour to get things for your celebration..."

She watched her leave, making sure she was out of hearing range before picking up her phone.

"Booth," He muttered, too busy shifting through stacks of paperwork to look at the caller ID.

"Hi..."

He stopped, leaning back with a smile on his face, "Hey..."

"Are you almost done for the day? Because I can't focus anymore, and Angela is taking Hodgins and Zack shopping for the party..." She took a deep breath, "And I really need to talk to you."

His heart dropped a little, "Sure, I can be there in... twenty minutes?"

"That's good, I'll see you then..."

He hung up, grabbing a few files and some paperwork and heading for his SUV, his mind in overdrive. There was nothing wrong with the actual words she said... but the tone of her voice spoke volumes. He sped the entire way there, part of him scared, but mostly he was just concerned. He entered her office without a knock and saw her sitting at her desk, staring at the wall. "Temperance," He whispered.

She shook whatever thoughts were in her mind away, smiling at him. "Hey... Do you want to talk here, or at my place?"

"Here's fine..." 'I just want to get this over with,' he thought, his fingers twitching.

"Okay. Here's the thing... We're moving very, very fast, Seeley. Angela has explained that it's because we've been avoiding this for two years, so now that it's happened it's all happening at once. And that made me think that, some couples who know they're in love... usually get engaged after two years. But I'm not ready for that... I just wanted you to know, because she said that you've been ahead of me from the beginning, and I really don't want..." He presses his lips to hers, interrupting her flow. "What was that for?"

He smiled, "How about we make a deal? When you want to get married... we will."

"But how will you know?"

He grabbed her jacket and helped her into it, grabbing her bag and her hand, leading her out of the office, "You could always tell me..."

"Or, I could propose to you..." She smiled as he waved to the security guard, his jaw clenched. "I'll tell you, I promise..."

They arrived at her apartment, hand in hand, ready to face their friends inside, fully confident that they would go their own pace for the rest of their lives...

* * *

AN2: and that's all, folks. Maybe a sequel, one day... when I have time. Hope you liked it--reviews are, as always, my drug of choice!! Support my habit?? 


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